


The Complete Guide To Falling In Love With More Than One Person At Once, As Told By Several People Who Did Just That

by byrd_the_amazin



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: F/F, F/M, God help these dumb gay newsboys in love, M/M, Multi, Pining, Polyamory Negotiations, another coffee shop au??? woohoo, ot3 fic with some hinted ot4 at the end, so much pining!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-30
Updated: 2017-05-30
Packaged: 2018-11-06 16:56:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11040372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/byrd_the_amazin/pseuds/byrd_the_amazin
Summary: “Let’s recap this entire situation,” Sarah said.“What entire situation?” Davey asked, even though he knew exactly what entire situation.“The one where you’ve managed to fall in love with not one but two of your friends. Who are currently dating each other, because you gave your blessing or some shit to one of them.”





	The Complete Guide To Falling In Love With More Than One Person At Once, As Told By Several People Who Did Just That

**Author's Note:**

> BEL
> 
> I LOVE YOU
> 
> I'M SO SORRY I'M SUCH A SHITTY FRIEND 
> 
> THIS IS MONTHS LATE 
> 
> I APOLOGIZE 
> 
> I LOVE YOU
> 
> (hey if you want to read all about how many tries this took/my trials and tribulations while writing this piece of shit, go down to the end notes
> 
> i whine for quite a bit there)
> 
> but hey! here's some good ol' fashioned pining
> 
> because who doesn't love a lot of good pining 
> 
> with a bonus rushed ending? oh boy!
> 
> here goes nothing 
> 
> -byrd

Jack thought he deserved a medal for all the shit he was putting up with from his love life.

Or at the very least an apology letter from the universe. He wouldn’t say no to five hundred bucks in cash, either.

Because what he had to deal with was _horrible._ It was _painful._ And _agonizing._

And it started when he made the mistake of falling in love with not one, not two, but _three_ of his best friends.

Jack wanted a fucking medal.

~

 Jack met Davey when they were eight, and Davey transferred to Jack’s school. Midway through the year, the teacher cleared her throat for attention in the middle of morning work, and Jack and the rest of the class looked to the front of the room to see an awkward, nervous boy up front. He had hair almost as dark as Jack’s, and his eyes kept darting around anxiously, like he was afraid that any moment, someone would tell him he wasn’t meant to be there.

“Class,” the teacher announced. “This is our new student. Would you like to tell them your name, dear?”

The new kid shook his head vigorously, and the teacher accepted that with a nod, turning back to the class and announcing that his name was David Jacobs and that he’d transferred from St. Claire’s, the private school on  the other side of town.

 _He’s probably really smart,_ Jack thought sadly, already beginning to tune the teacher out. Jack wasn’t exactly who you’d call the brainiest kid in the class. He had problems focusing, and sometimes his brain scrambled up the letters on the page if he wasn’t concentrating really hard on them. David Jacobs was going to sit with the smarter kids, he just knew it.

“Jack,” the teacher said, snapping him out of his thoughts. _Focus, Jack._ “Can you clear your things off the desk beside you? David is going to be sitting next to you.”

“Oh.” _Alright, then._ “I mean. Yes. Yes, of course.” He sort of half-heartedly shoved his stuff off David’s desk and onto his, and David hesitantly sat down, like he was afraid Jack might bite.

“I’m Jack,” Jack said, offering a hand that David eyed suspiciously before apparently deciding Jack was not an enemy and shaking it.

“David Jacobs,” and his voice was as shy and nervous as the rest of him.

Jack considered it. “David. You got a nickname?”

“My little brother calls me Davey?” he offered, and Jack nodded, satisfied.

“Perfect,” he said. “Nice to meet you, Davey.”

And thus began a shaky two-week friendship that consisted of Jack doing most of the talking and Davey nodding or giving one-word responses. Through this method of communication, Jack learned that Davey had a brother named Les and a sister named Sarah, and they actually didn’t live that far from the apartment that Jack lived in with his foster mother and siblings. Davey loved school, especially science, and he wanted to be a librarian when he grew up, which Jack found both horrifying and admirable since he could barely focus on a single paragraph at a time, much less an entire book. Much less an entire _building_ full of books.

At the end of two weeks, Jack ended up getting in trouble for not finishing a worksheet, and when the teacher held him back to finish it during recess, Davey stayed behind, too, and sat beside Jack, reading a book while Jack struggled through the (rather large) chunk of reading he’d been assigned. When he couldn’t sound out a word no matter how hard he tried, Davey looked over.

“That word is _physical,_ ” he said quietly, pointing to it on the page. “Are you okay?”

“I can’t read,” Jack grumbled, hating himself for the tears that were threatening to spill from his eyes, which weren’t helping him read the words on the page at all.

“What do you mean, you can’t read?” Davey asked, closing his book and looking at Jack intently.

“I mean, sometimes when I’m reading, the letters get all scrambled up and I can’t read what it says no matter how hard I try,” Jack said, frustrated, because now Davey was going to think he was _stupid_ and needed to be sent back to _kindergarten_ because he couldn’t _read._ “And I’m trying, I really am. I’m not stupid, I promise.”

“I know you’re not stupid,” and Jack was so relieved that his new friend didn’t think he was dumb that he actually slumped back into his chair.

Davey was silent for a moment, and then he said, “Are you dyslexic?”

Jack was pretty sure that was the word his mother had said. “Yes, I think so.”

“Does the teacher know?”

“I don’t know.” It would make sense that his mother would have notified someone, but the teacher certainly didn’t _act_ like she knew Jack couldn’t read as well as everyone else.

“Well…” Davey trailed off, biting his lip. “Let me help you.”

“Are you serious?” Jack asked incredulously.

“I mean, unless you don’t want my help, then I don’t have to-”

“No, no, I’m sorry,” Jack cut in. “I mean, that would be- um. That would be great.”

Davey smiled, a fast, small thing that was over almost as quick as it had begun, and Jack thought, _I’m so lucky to have Davey as a friend._

At the end of recess, when the rest of the class started to pour back into the classroom, Jack turned to Davey and declared, “Davey, you’re my best friend.”

Davey’s smile didn’t fade quite so fast this time.

~

They were pretty much inseparable from that point on. Davey and Jack went home with each other all the time, to the point that both Jack’s foster mother and Davey’s parents were used to setting an extra place at the table for dinner. Spot liked to joke that he had _two_ brothers now, not just one, and Sarah and Les regarded Jack as part of their family.

Davey still helped Jack with his work, but it was slowly becoming easier for Jack to distinguish words if he focused really hard on the page. Throughout middle school, they remained just as close. In high school, Jack convinced Davey to work on the tech crew when Jack got the lead in the school musical freshman year. For the next two years, Davey was the best tech they’d ever had, up until junior year when he was promoted to stage manager.

Then time for college applications rolled around, and they ended getting up accepted at the same college. When Davey approached Jack and shyly asked if he wanted to be Davey’s roommate, Jack happily accepted. After all, what was college without your best friend?

It worked well, for a while. Jack’s erratic, hyperactive behavior was balanced out by Davey’s calmer demeanor. When Jack made stupid decisions like pulling three consecutive all-nighters to finish his art project, Davey was there to tell him the painting was _beautiful, no seriously Jack, you need to sleep now, sleep is good, yes?_ and to send him to bed. When Davey was psyching himself out about a paper, Jack dragged him away from the desk for half an hour to go get coffee or ice cream or just walk around campus. They really were a magnificent pair.

And when Jack developed a crush on the cute barista at the coffee shop, Davey was there to console him and talk sense into him.

“You know, you could just _talk_ to him,” Davey offered. He was cross-legged on his bed in their dorm room, writing a paper on his laptop that, knowing Davey, probably wasn’t due for another three weeks. “The surest way to find out if this guy is interested in you is to ask.”

“No, the surest way to find out if he’s interested in me is to flirt subtly and see if he flirts back and if he doesn’t, then to pine from afar because unrequited crushes are a _bitch,_ ” Jack groaned. He was flopped onto his own bed, an arm thrown dramatically over his face as he lamented his love life (or lack of one) to a very patient Davey.

“Jack.”

“Okay, so that isn’t the _only_ way,” Jack conceded. “But it seems to be working fine for me.”

“If by _working fine_ you mean _making you miserable as you whine to me about how sparkly this guy’s eyes are as you pine from afar,_ ” Davey said, not taking his eyes off his laptop.

Jack moved his arm off his face so that he could stare across the room at Davey. “Was that _sass,_ David Jacobs?”

“I’m capable of it too,” Davey said, but there was a smile playing at his lips even as he still didn’t move his attention from his laptop screen.

“What the _fuck_ are you talking- I’m not sure I’ve _ever_ heard you sass me _,”_ Jack said, awestruck.

“All I’m saying is, maybe you should talk to him. Do you know if he’s into guys?”

Jack made a loud, high-pitched sound. “I don’t _know,_ I don’t know I don’t know-”

“So figure it out,” said Davey reasonably. Jack _hated_ that tone, the one that made him feel like he was stupid and Davey was the condescending teacher. Not that Davey was being condescending, of course, but after years of teachers asking if he was _purposefully_ being obtuse or if he just _wasn’t smart enough to get it,_ Jack was slightly defensive about anyone talking down to him.

He took a deep breath to calm himself. “No, you’re right, I have no idea if he likes guys.”

“There are ways to find these things out,” Davey said, and Jack made an aggravated sound.

“I don’t think you understand how much I _cannot do that._ I can’t just…” He trailed off. “I don’t even know how to approach the topic of _hey I think you’re cute, want to go out with me?_ ”

“I think that’s exactly what you say,” Davey said. “How have you asked out people in the past?”

“I don’t know,” Jack mumbled. “It’s been a long fucking time, babe.”

“So practice what you’re going to say,” Davey said.

Jack rolled his eyes. “Hey, good-looking,” he said, completely monotone, a blank expression on his face and all emotion gone from his voice. “I’m Jack Kelly, the smoothest-talking cowboy on this side of the Mississippi. Want to date me?” His face brightened and a smile reappeared. “How was that?”

“That was horrifying,” Davey said honestly, but there was a smile playing at his lips, and his attention was no longer on his laptop screen, which Jack counted as a plus. “You might be on the right track, though. How about you just introduce yourself and try to figure out through body language if he’s into you? You’re good at body language.”

“Lies,” Jack said stubbornly. “I just… really don’t want to mess this up, dude. What would _you_ do?”

“You’ve had ten times the number of relationships I have,” Davey pointed out. “Why are you asking me?”

“Be _cause,_ Dave _,_ ” Jack said. “None of my relationships have lasted for very long and I don’t know how to _make_ them last long and I can’t maintain a relationship for more than a few months at most and-”

“Hey,” said Davey. “Hey. _Hey._ Calm down.”

“Don’t tell me to calm down, Jacobs. What if this guy says no to me?”

Davey snorted. “Then I guess you’ll just have to die alone, Jack.”

“Nah, I won’t die alone,” Jack said easily, mood clearing almost instantly. “We’re getting married for tax benefits, remember?”

“Ah, of course,” Davey said, grinning for real now. “How could I have forgotten?”

They’d made the pact in middle school, back when Jack had gotten dumped by three consecutive girlfriends and then run to Davey, panicking because he was sure that no one would ever love him. After reassuring Jack that _of course there are people who love you, Jack, your mom and siblings love you, my family adores you, and of course I care about you,_ Jack had come up with the plan: if they were both single and alone at age thirty, they would get married.

For tax benefits. And because they were best friends and knew they could feasibly live together without ripping each other apart.

It was a perfect plan.

“Of course,” Jack continued. “If I can just find the guts to _ask this guy out,_ then we won’t even _have_ to get married, because I’ll actually be able to _find someone._ ”

Davey’s smile slipped off his face, and his voice was slightly colder when he said, “Yes, Jack, I’m sure this guy is going to be _the one._ ”

“Well, you never know,” Jack laughed. “Relationships either end in a breakup or a wedding.”

Davey’s face whitened. “That is… _truly_ terrifying.”

“It’s true, though,” Jack pointed out.

“It is true. That doesn’t make it any less terrifying.”

“So all I’ve got to do is…” Jack took a deep breath. “Just… Ask for his number. Ask his name first? Wait, shit. When do I tell him he’s cute?” He turned to Davey, panic in his eyes. “What the hell?”

Davey barely contained his snicker. Barely, but he managed. “You’ll be fine, Jack.”

“Okay,” Jack whispered. “Okay. Alright.” He closed his eyes, then opened them again and looked at Davey, and _oh no._ Davey knew that look. It was the look Jack adopted whenever he was about to ask his best friend for a _huge_ favor. “Hey Daveyyyyy,” he began, drawing out the last syllable of Davey’s name.

“No,” Davey said flatly. “Absolutely not.”

“How did you know what I was going to say?” Jack demanded.

“You were going to ask me to come to the coffee shop with you and be your wingman,” Davey said. He focused on his screen, determined not to look Jack in the eyes. “And I’m telling you, _absolutely not._ Never again.”

“But you’re such a _good_ wingman,” Jack whined. “Please?”

“No, Jack. I am not getting involved in your love life ever again. I’m still scarred from senior year.”

“Okay, that was _once,_ and I had no idea she would stalk you like that,” Jack said defensively. “This won’t be bad, Davey. Just come and be at my side for a shoulder to cry on in case something goes wrong, yeah?”

“I said no, Jack.”

“ _Please,_ Davey?”

And _dammit,_ Davey thought, as he looked up from his laptop to meet Jack’s eyes _._ Jack knew _exactly_ what he was doing, putting on the face Davey hadn’t been able to resist since they were young.

He was silent for ten long seconds. Then he closed the lid of his laptop.

“Dammit, Jack,” he sighed. “This guy had better be worth it. And you’re buying me coffee.”

~

Crutchie couldn’t find it in him to be mad at the two guys who came in five minutes before his shift ended and ordered two drinks, because they were _seriously_ hot, and Crutchie was nothing if not absolutely helpless when it came to attractive people.

One of them handed a wad of bills to the other and left to go snag a table, and Crutchie noticed that he picked one of the couples’ tables, near the window. You couldn’t get much of a view out the window of a coffee shop situated on the ground level of the Upper East Side, but Good Coffee did its best. At the very least, the window let in a ton of natural light, which Crutchie thought cheered the place up quite a bit.

The other guy came up to the counter, and Crutchie _recognized him._ It was David Jacobs, from his English Lit class, the one who sat near Crutchie and always partnered with him on group assignments since neither of them had any other friends in the class.

Crutchie had also had a _massive_ crush on him since about the second week of classes, but that was irrelevant.

“Hey, Davey,” he greeted, a sunny smile on his face. 

“Oh, my God,” Davey said, looking up and noticing who the barista was. “It’s you.”

“It’s me,” Crutchie agreed, although he wasn’t sure exactly what he was agreeing to. “What can I get for you today?”

“Of course it’s you,” Davey sighed. “Naturally. Um. Can I have a black coffee? Please?”

Crutchie frowned slightly, because he still wasn’t sure what exactly Davey meant by _of course it’s you._ “Sure. What size?”

“As large as you’ve got,” Davey said tiredly, sounding every bit the exhausted, sleep-deprived university student that he was.

“Extra large black coffee,” Crutchie said, punching the order into the stubborn, ancient cash register. Then he looked up, realizing what his friend had just ordered. “You’re going to have a heart attack, Davey.”

“I know my caffeine tolerance,” Davey said, but there was a smile playing at his lips. “My friend back there wants a vanilla latte, please.”

“Size?”

“He wants a large, but knowing him…” Davey shook his head. “Medium.”

Crutchie narrowed his eyes. “Davey… are you the _mom friend?_ ”

“Someone’s got to be,” Davey replied, but his smile had returned. “If I let him run the show, we’d all be in trouble.”

“That’s seven dollars,” Crutchie said, and Davey handed over a ten.

There was a pause while Crutchie forced open the register drawer and deposited the bill, then counted out three dollars for change. Davey accepted the money and then paused, opening his mouth to say something and then closing it, apparently changing his mind about whatever he was going to say.

“What’s up?” Crutchie asked. He shoved the cash register drawer closed and looked up to meet Davey’s eyes and was abruptly reminded just why he had a crush on Davey because _damn._ His eyes were wide and such a dark shade of brown that Crutchie was reminded of the coffee before they put anything in it.

He blinked. _Christ,_ he needed to get a grip. He’d started comparing Davey to his coffee, and past experience was telling him that this was typically when things started to go downhill.

“I, um, have a question,” Davey said, pocketing the money and running a hand through his hair. Dark eyes, dark hair. _Focus._ “My friend kind of… wants your number?”

“ _That_ friend?” Crutchie asked, nodding towards the friend Davey had come in with, currently scribbling on a napkin as he waited for Davey to return with drinks.

“ _That_ friend,” Davey confirmed. “He comes here a lot and he thinks you’re really cute, and he was wondering if you wanted to maybe go out with him sometime?”

“Depends,” Crutchie said, leaning forward conspiratorially on the counter. “What’s he like?”

“Oh, Jack’s great,” Davey said. “You’d love him. He’s majoring in art, and he’s got a huge heart, and-”

“Davey,” said Crutchie carefully, because he recognized the name Jack from past conversations with Davey. “Is this, by any chance, your roommate Jack?”

Davey wouldn’t meet Crutchie’s eyes.

“As in, the Jack I heard literally every single detail about because you’ve been in love with him since middle school, but he’s never noticed you as anything more than a friend before? The Jack you’re rooming with and as a result, slowly losing your mind over? _That_ Jack?”

“It’s… possible,” Davey murmured, and Crutchie drew back from the counter, planting his hands on it for balance and emphasis.

“Davey!” he scolded. “I’m not going on a date with the guy you’ve liked since you were kids! That would be cruel of me.”

“It wouldn’t be cruel,” Davey said glumly. “I’ve told you a million times, he doesn’t like me back. And besides, he doesn’t know, so it would hardly be _cruel_ if you went out with him.”

“It still doesn’t feel right,” Crutchie said, biting his lip.

“I promise, it’s fine,” Davey assured him. “I don’t mind. If anything, it’s better this way, because at least this way I know he won’t end up with a total creep.”

Crutchie laughed. “I’m glad you think so highly of me, David Jacobs.”

“I think the _world_ of you, Charlie Morris,” Davey said sincerely, and Crutchie felt his heart jump into his throat as those coffee-brown eyes found his and held their gaze for several long seconds.

 _Jesus, get a grip._ Crutchie forced himself to look away first, plucking two cups off the stack and pulling a marker out of his apron. He uncapped the marker with his teeth and scrawled _Davey_ on the larger of the two cups, then, ignoring how much his hand was shaking, _Jack_ on the other.

He slid the cups down the counter so that Mush could start preparing them and then turned back to Davey, taking a deep breath.

“If you give him my number,” he said slowly, recapping the marker, “then I’ll try to make this work.”

Davey’s smile was sweet, but sad, too. “Glad to hear it.” He turned around to go sit and wait for his drinks, then turned back. “Crutchie?”

“Mmhmm?” Crutchie asked, looking up from where he was twirling the marker in his hands.

“Try not to break my best friend’s heart, okay?”

~

Despite everything, Davey thought he was handling things remarkably well.

Never mind the fact that the guy he’d liked since the seventh grade was currently going out with the guy he’d had a slight crush on since the beginning of the year. He was happy for them. Truly. And he was only a _tiny_ bit jealous, no matter what Sarah said.

He’d texted his sister ten minutes after Jack had asked for the eleventh time whether he looked alright (as if Davey could offer any advice other than _you look great, Jack, really_ ) and finally, _finally_ walked out the door to go on his fifth date with Crutchie.

**[me]  The apartment is so empty without him, Saz.**

**[saz] aw poor bby**

**[me] I don’t know if I’m going to be able to do this.**

**[saz] do what**

**[me] Act like nothing’s wrong while he’s… parading around the apartment looking like a model as he gets ready for his fifth date with another guy!**

**[saz] u know**

**[saz] if u had actually grown a pair n _told_ the man how u feel**

**[saz] we wouldn’t b hving this problem now would we**

**[me] Shut up, Sarah.**

**[saz] so tell me abt this crutch person**

**[me] Crutchie? Oh, Crutchie’s amazing.**

**[me] He’s really sweet and such a selfless, caring person. I’ve got English Lit with him.**

**[saz] WAIT**

**[saz] WHOA WHOA WHOA**

**[saz] ENGLISH LIT? IS THIS THT CHARLIE GUY U WERE WHINING 2 ME ABT AT THE BEG. OF THE YEAR?**

**[saz] DAVID ABRAHAM JACOBS ANSWER ME**

**[saz] IS TH GUY U LIKE GOING OUT W ANOTHER GUY U LIKE?!?!?**

**[me] Possibly…**

**[saz] oh u poor thing**

**[saz] how r u dealing w this**

**[me] I’m not. Not really, anyways.**

**[saz] ok yeah good pt**

**[saz] u want ice cream? we  hav ice cream**

**[me] No, I think I’m fine. I just need to mope.**

**[saz] misery loves company, dumbass**

**[saz] we’ll b ovr in 10 min**

~

“You’re hopeless,” were Sarah’s first words to Davey when he opened the door for her.

“I know,” said Davey miserably.

“Thankfully, we have ice cream to fix it,” she replied as he stepped aside and let her in.

“Amen to that,” laughed the girl who came in right on Sarah’s heels. She had long chestnut hair tied back in a braid and slung over one shoulder, and she was wearing a St Claire’s Academy softball team sweatshirt and flannel pajamas. Somewhere in Davey’s muddled head, his brain placed her as Katherine, Sarah’s roommate, but he could remember next to nothing about her.

She was quite pretty, he thought, and then dismissed the thought. Unattainable crushes were the reason he was _here_ right now.

“So, _David,_ ” Sarah said exasperatedly, once all three of them were settled on the couch. Davey had gotten his own carton of ice cream (chocolate, his favorite, with no toppings or gimmicks), with Katherine and Sarah splitting the other one.

“Let’s recap this entire situation,” she said.

“What entire situation?” he asked, even though he knew _exactly_ what entire situation.

“The one where you’ve managed to fall in love with not one but _two_ of your friends. Who are currently dating each other, because you _gave your blessing_ or some shit to one of them.”

Katherine let out a shocked laugh. “You did _what?_ ”

“I want them to be happy!” Davey cried defensively. “I don’t want them to not date each other because it might… _hurt my feelings_ or something.”

“There’s a fine line between being a good friend and fucking yourself over,” Katherine said thoughtfully, spooning out some ice cream and pointing the spoon at him for emphasis. “And you, my friend, _vaulted_ over that line.”

“She’s got a point,” Sarah admitted.

“I just want them to be happy,” Davey repeated quietly.

“Couldn’t they be happy without making your life a living hell?” Sarah asked.

“I don’t know,” he replied. “They’re happy together.”

“But you’re not happy with them being together,” Katherine pointed out.

“No, I’m _thrilled_ with them being together,” Davey argued. “I like them _both,_ guys.”

Katherine and Sarah exchanged a long look that seemed to communicate an entire conversation’s worth of words in less than thirty seconds.

“So, let me get this straight,” said Sarah slowly.

“Not even close,” Katherine snickered, and Sarah snorted.

“Good one. Let me _clear this up,_ ” she amended. “You want to be with them, but you don’t want them to split up because you want to be with… _both of them._ ”

Davey hadn’t actually thought of it that way, but as soon as his sister phrased it like that, it hit him like a lightning bolt.

“Oh, my God,” he whispered. “You’re right.”

“When am I not?” Sarah asked triumphantly, taking a victorious bite of ice cream.

“But… how would that even work?” Davey asked. “I can’t just… date both of them at once.” He looked over at the two girls. “Can I?”

“David Jacobs, you can do whatever you want to with your love life,” Sarah said around her mouthful of ice cream. “I came out to Mom and Dad by sending them a picture of me kissing Pidge. You can do whatever the hell you want.”

It was true. Sarah, never one to half-ass things, had decided one day that she was sick of keeping her relationship with her girlfriend a secret, so she’d snapped a picture of the two of them kissing and sent it in the family group chat. Thankfully, their parents were very supportive, congratulating Sarah and asking when they got to meet Pidge. Davey knew his parents would support him in whatever decisions he made with his love life.

But it wasn’t his parents he was worried about, either.

“They probably don’t want to date me, though,” Davey murmured. Jack and Crutchie seemed _plenty_ happy together, on their own. He didn’t want to ruin it by stepping in the middle of their perfect relationship.

“Then they don’t have _eyes,_ ” Katherine muttered, giving him a very obvious once-over. Davey could feel his face burning, so he dropped his gaze to his carton of ice cream, focusing on swirling the chocolate around with his spoon.

“Well, _I_ think they’d both be _very_ lucky to date you,” said Sarah finally.

Davey snorted. “Thanks, _mom._ ”

She pointed her spoon at him threateningly. “Don’t sass me, Jacobs. I’m serious. What do you have to lose by asking them out?”

Davey let out an incredulous laugh. “Are you kidding? How about their respect for me, when they learn that I like _both_ of them? I could lose that. I could also lose any chance of ever being happy again when they inevitably _reject_ me. I could lose their friendship, Sarah.” He took a deep breath. “I could lose my best friend, Saz. And someone who could have been like a best friend to me, given time.”

Sarah and Katherine were quiet for a long time. Then Katherine said, “We aren’t asking you to sabotage yourself, Dave. All we’re saying is, don’t miss out just because you’re afraid of rejection.”

“This could end up being the best thing ever,” Sarah said. “If they say yes to you, you’re in literally the best relationship of your life, Davey.”

“And if they say no?”

“But they might _not_ say no,” Katherine said. “That’s what we’re trying to tell you.”

Davey dropped the spoon into the ice cream carton and ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t even know how this would work, you guys. How do you date more than one person at a time?”

“Well….” Katherine trailed off, shrugging. “It’s not _easy,_ exactly, but if you love the people enough…”

“You’ve been in a polyamorous relationship?” Davey asked, turning to her in shock.

She nodded earnestly. “Only two, though.”

“ _Only two,_ ” Sarah mimicked. “Kath, most people haven’t even been in _one._ ”

She shrugged again. “I mean, obviously you’ve got to check with all involved parties, but if it works out, it’s a ton of fun.”

“How do they _work,_ though?” Davey asked. “Do you all date each other, or…?”

She tilted her head, considering it. “Depends on the relationship. One of the relationships I’ve had, there were three of us, and we all dated each other. The other time, I had a girlfriend and a boyfriend at the same time, and they were both aware of the other one without actually dating them.”

Davey sat back, stunned. To hear Katherine tell it, it was normal and ordinary to date more than one person, when all his life, he’d been exposed to nothing but monogamy.

 

“That sounds like…” He swallowed hard. “If that could actually work, that would be…”

“Life-changing,” she filled in, nodding. “Believe me, I know.”

“How do you bring it up?” Davey asked. His hands started to shake, rattling the spoon around the ice cream carton, because he was finally starting to believe that this could actually kind of work. He could date Crutchie and Jack at the same time. Why not? Katherine had been in more than one polyamorous relationship before. It could work.

It could work.

Why was he _shaking_ so hard?

“How to bring it up with Jack?” Sarah snickered. “Bluntly. _Very_ bluntly.”

“Bluntly?” Katherine asked. Bless her sweet innocent soul.

“Bluntly,” Davey and Sarah agreed at the same time.

“So, what?” Davey asked. “Just walk up to them and say _hey, I think you’re both attractive as hell and I want to go out with you? Like, both of you? At the same time?”_

Sarah shrugged. “Why not?”

“ _Why n_ \- Sarah, there are literally a million things wrong with that proposition.”

“I dunno,” said a new voice behind the couch. “It was straightforward and to the point. I think it did its job _very_ well.”

Davey squeezed his eyes shut and prayed harder than he ever had in his life that the person standing behind the couch _wasn’t_ who he thought it was. “Oh. My God,” he said in a small voice.

Jack Kelly laughed, and as Davey spun around to face him so quickly that the ice cream carton fell out of his lap, he saw that Jack wasn’t alone. Crutchie was there, too, an arm looped through Jack’s and a grin on his freckled face.

Because _of fucking course._

Davey’s luck really was shit.

“Fuck,” he whispered weakly, as Sarah and Katherine cracked up beside him. “ _Fuck._ I didn’t even hear the door open. How much of that did you hear?”

“Enough,” said Crutchie innocently. “Why? You meant it, didn’t you?”

“More than I’ve ever meant anything in my life,” Davey replied truthfully. “But that doesn’t- um. You don’t have to- shit. I don’t know what to say.” He looked at Sarah, who seemed to be holding back tears. “Shit, Sarah. You planned all this, didn’t you?”

Still laughing, she held up her phone. A group message with **[crutch]** and **[cowboy kelly]** was displaying one sent message from Sarah: **alright u guys can come home now plan is in motion we r here**

“You _asshole,_ ” breathed Davey. “You set this all up. You _knew_ I would spill my guts to you tonight. And you-” He looked at Jack and Crutchie. “You guys already knew that I liked you. How?”

“I have a feeling that’s our cue,” murmured Sarah to Katherine, and the two got off the couch.

“Don’t leave me,” begged Davey, because he had no idea what was going to happen once that front door shut behind them.

“Sorry, brother dear,” said Sarah, as they started to creep towards the door. “Curfew, and all that. You know how it is. Have fun, you three!”

“You’ve never had a curfew in your goddamn life,” Davey muttered, but it was a fruitless effort, as Katherine and Sarah were already out the door. “ _Shit._ ”

“So,” said Jack, shifting from foot to foot. “We should probably talk.”

“Yeah, you think?” Davey let out a breathy, nervous laugh. “How did you two already know that I had feelings for you?”

Jack and Crutchie exchanged glances.

“Davey…” Crutchie began, then stopped.

“You aren’t exactly _subtle,_ Jacobs,” Jack said.

“I’m not?”

They shook their heads.

“The longing glances whenever I had a date with Crutchie?” Jack asked.

“The way you look at me whenever I come to pick Jack up?” Crutchie added.

Davey closed his eyes. “Shit. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have- you guys are probably so weirded out, I’m so-”

“Shh,” said Crutchie, holding up a hand. “No more sorry.” He made his way around the couch to sit down next to Davey, and Jack followed, settling down on Davey’s other side.

“But beyond all the obvious signs,” said Crutchie, “Sarah’s been keeping us updated.”

“That _asshole,_ ” Davey hissed.

Jack laughed. “We had a group chat and everything. She kept changing the name to SARAH HELPS 2 IDIOTS GET THEIR SHIT TOGETHER!!!!!. It was super exciting.”

Davey let out a weak, half-hearted attempt at a laugh. “Sounds like it.”

“And Davey,” said Crutchie gently, reaching forward and taking one of Davey’s hands in his own, which he _really should not have done_ because all of a sudden Davey’s brain was going into goddamn _overdrive,_ “we came home early from our date tonight because _we like you back._ ”

Davey opened his mouth to say something, but then stopped short, because what Crutchie had just said was still registering and _what._

What.

_What._

“W-what?” he tried, and his voice cracked alarmingly at the end of the word. “You- _what?_ ”

“We like you back, you idiot,” Jack said, taking Davey’s other hand, which sent his brain into a whole nother wave of panic. _Christ, get it together._

“Oh my God,” he said quietly. “Oh my- okay, hang on.”

Crutchie and Jack waited, which he was very grateful for.

“You both like me,” he said. “Like, _romantically.”_

“Correct,” Crutchie said, and Jack nodded.

“And you both want to date me.”

“Right.”

“While _also_ dating each other.”

“Yes.”

Davey let that process for a moment, but really, there wasn’t much to consider. He’d just had this conversation with Katherine and Sarah. He _knew_ he wanted this.

“O-okay,” he said. “Alright. I would…” He swallowed. “ _Really_ like that.”

“Good,” said Crutchie, beaming. “Because we would _really like that_ too.”

And without another word, he leaned in and pressed his lips to Davey’s, and all rational thought halted in Davey’s brain.

Because he’d liked Crutchie since the beginning of their time together in English Lit. He was adorable, and funny, and smart, and an absolute sweetheart to everyone and everything. He was also _unavailable. Especially_ when he started going out with Jack.

The kiss  was soft, and sweet, and part of the way through, Davey detached his hand from Crutchie’s to bring it up and cradle Crutchie’s jaw, smoothing his thumb over Crutchie’s freckled cheek.

And then they broke apart, and all Davey could think to say was, “ _Wow._ ”

Crutchie laughed, and Davey felt the laugh brush across his own mouth. “ _Wow_ is right, _wow_ is—so right.” He turned to Jack, a shocked grin on his face. “ _Wow._ ”

“My turn,” said Jack, bringing up the hand that wasn’t clasped in Davey’s and using it to tilt Davey’s head towards him. He brought their faces together and right before he closed the distance, he asked, “Is this alright?”

In answer, Davey kissed him.

It was slow and it was lazy and in some ways it was just like kissing Crutchie and in other ways it was nothing like kissing Crutchie. Jack’s mouth seemed to be more active, moving against Davey’s with more fervor and passion and causing them to have to break apart much sooner, and then all Davey could do was laugh breathlessly and lean his forehead against Jack’s because he’d just kissed _Jack._

_Jack Kelly._

Who he’d liked since _middle school._

“God,” he said reverently. “That was- also _wow._ ”

“Also _wow,_ ” Jack said. “Such high praise.” He backed up, leaned across Davey to peck Crutchie on the mouth. “I got a _wow,_ too, babe.”

Crutchie laughed. “I know.” He accepted the kiss, then put a hand on Jack’s chest and gently pushed him back, looking to Davey. “So? What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking…” Davey trailed off. Looked at Crutchie. Looked at Jack. “I want to _go out_ with you guys! And not just as like… a one-time thing. I want to date you. And kiss you. And watch movies with you. And wake up beside you. _Both_ of you. God, I…” He hesitated. Words weren’t coming to him like they usually did, but Jack and Crutchie seemed to get the picture.

“We’ve been talking,” Jack said, “and I think that’s… _definitely_ what we want, too.”

“Oh, definitely,” Crutchie agreed with a nod.

“Does this mean I can kiss you guys again?” Davey asked, and Jack surged forward to press their lips together once more while Crutchie laughed gently and not at all unkindly.

He could get used to this, he thought.

He could _definitely_ get used to this.

~

“So,” said Jack, much later, when they had all calmed down somewhat and were sitting on the couch, slumped over each other, talking in hushed tones, catching up on what they’d missed in each other’s lives while they’d been busy pining. “That Katherine girl.”

“What about her?” Davey asked.

“Well, she came over today because we knew she knew a thing or two about polyamory,” Jack said thoughtfully. “So, like. We _know_ she knows about polyamory.”

Crutchie hummed in agreement. “She was pretty cute, too.”

Davey sighed with relief. “Oh, thank _God._ I thought I was the only one seeing her. She’s…” He paused. “She’s really pretty.”

“ _And_ she’s been in polyamorous relationships before,” Crutchie added.

“We should…” Jack scrunched up his eyebrows, apparently trying to reorganize his thoughts. He had been dozing off every few minutes for the past hour or so, and as many times as Crutchie and Davey encouraged him to just _go to sleep already, Jack,_ he stayed up, claiming he didn’t want to miss a second of being with his new boyfriends. “We should definitely do something about that, guys.”

“Hmm,” Crutchie hummed again. “Maybe tomorrow. I’m tired.”

“Tomorrow,” Davey agreed, rest his head on Jack’s shoulder. “We should most certainly talk to her.”

“Because she’s pretty,” Jack said.

“And nice,” Crutchie put in.

“And _experienced,_ ” Davey concluded. “But for now… I’m happy.”

“Me too,” said Crutchie happily, readjusting so that his head was on Davey’s chest. “Me too.”

And Davey’s last thought before succumbing to sleep was just how fucking lucky he was, that these boys had chosen him and he them, that this was actually going to work out between them, that they all liked each other.

It was a nice change of luck, he thought, and finally closed his eyes.

**Author's Note:**

> bel, i know this isn't exactly what you asked for
> 
> my laptop gets taken in two days and i had to act fast
> 
> like, really fast
> 
> but anyways 
> 
> GOOOOD MORNING/AFTERNOON/EVENING, CHILDREN
> 
> THIS FIC WAS BROUGHT TO YOU MONTHS LATE BECAUSE I’M A PIECE OF SHIT 
> 
> WRITTEN THROUGH BLOOD AND SWEAT AND TEARS
> 
> SO MANY TEARS
> 
> I wish I was kidding do u know how many rewrites of this bullcrap I had to do??????????so many 
> 
> if ur interested in the Life And Times Of Byrd And Their Unconventional (Dumbass) Ways Of Writing Fics, read below 
> 
> otherwise, thx for reading!!! love u!!!!
> 
> so first off, I don’t save my shit until the fic is done because I’m an idiot 
> 
> yes I know
> 
> yell at me now
> 
> but I don’t? I never have?? and this is the root of All My Problems
> 
> so I had a perfectly respectable fic going; I was probably 10 pages or so in  
> on word docs 
> 
> and then my computer decided to do this cute little thing where it restarted to “install updates”
> 
> sure
> 
> stupid school craptop computer I hate u (just kidding I love you)
> 
> so I lost all ten of those pages
> 
> then 
> 
> oh boy
> 
> then 
> 
> I got about six pages into the next draft and decided I hated my own  
> characterization 
> 
> bc it just wasn’t dave 
> 
> so that went in the garbage
> 
> and then I wrote an entire coffee shop au 
> 
> decided I hated it 
> 
> and trashed it 
> 
> then I wrote another one, got several good, well-written pages in, and realized it wasn’t the ot4 
> 
> I had literally written a sprace backstory 
> 
> but this wasn’t a sprace fic??????????????????????????????
> 
> @my brain wtf 
> 
> so that one got trashed too
> 
> the next eight drafts
> 
> I WISH. I WAS KIDDING. 
> 
> E I G H T D R A F T S 
> 
> were all erased when my computer decided to go through this entire week where it was just an emo piece of junk and only saved my docs half the time?
> 
> so ofc important things like my English essay and eight drafts of this garbage weren’t saved 
> 
> but like.the entire list of volleyball rules that I don’t actually need because I played for two years???
> 
> yeah, we’ll save that
> 
> *shoots my craptop*
> 
> we are literally on draft one million and five here 
> 
> I am quickly losing patience with my emo craptop and also my motivation to write is Dying 
> 
> quickly 
> 
> do u know how many snapchats I sent to my poor friend em that were just pictures of my laptop screen with the caption being some unintelligible bs about how I was ACTUALLY WRITING 
> 
> bc that is a v large number
> 
> kudos to you, emily 
> 
> love u
> 
> SO FINALLY, 
> 
> don’t worry we’re drawing to a close in this dramatic retelling of events 
> 
> hold onto your hats, kiddies 
> 
> I LOOK AT MY CRAPTOP AND I SAY “YOU PIECE OF JUNK
> 
> YOU DON’T SCARE ME”
> 
> AND I SAT THE HECK DOWN
> 
> AND I CRANKED OUT 16 PAGES OF GOOD SOLID WORK 
> 
> and then in the middle of study hall one fine morning 
> 
> my craptop made this alarming clicking noise 
> 
> in my ear, my headphones stopped playing music
> 
> and then my craptop 
> 
> just
> 
> gives up
> 
> the screen goes blue and won’t change? no amount of button-clicking or hasty shut-downs would change it???
> 
> it’s looking like the end, kiddies
> 
> so I’m freaking out 
> 
> because all my shit is on that laptop 
> 
> this is not a mf-ing drill
> 
> and then the dear sweet child who sits across from me in study hall whose name I couldn’t even begin to guess so I call him Diagonal Boy in my head
> 
> leans across and goes “oh it happened to yours, too?”
> 
> just… performs some sort of satanic spell, stretches his fingers, hits a few keys
> 
> and presto 
> 
> bada bing bada boom 
> 
> we’re back in business, kiddies
> 
> never mind that the teacher’s table is right beside mine 
> 
> I straightup said “okay what the fuck” out loud because 
> 
> what
> 
> what 
> 
> what
> 
> I may have also proposed marriage to Diagonal Boy on the spot but don’t quote me on that I don’t think prearranged marriages with emotionally unstable people who he sits across from in study hall are really his thing
> 
> of course, my 16-page thing is gone but 
> 
> my craptop is functional 
> 
> (or as functional as something nicknamed the “craptop” can be)
> 
> so then I sat the heck down and cranked out a final draft
> 
> eyes bleary, fingers cramped, brain screaming 
> 
> so for what it’s worth 
> 
> this fic took all I had, kiddies
> 
> and bel if you’re reading this 
> 
> I love you with all my heart and this fic was absolutely worth it for you 
> 
> so 
> 
> yeah
> 
> -byrd


End file.
